Get Outside
Beaches, trails, and weekend plans
Mission Trails Regional Park: 8,000 Acres, Eight Miles from Downtown
One of the largest urban parks in the country sits eight miles from downtown — and almost everyone who goes there walks the same 1.5 miles. Here's the rest of it.
The Best Fall Hikes in San Diego (and the Two Things Most Guides Won't Tell You)
Fall is the best hiking season in San Diego and it isn't close — the inland trails cool off, the backcountry oaks turn gold in November, and the crowds thin.
King Tides 2026–27: Three Windows, All of Them on Holidays
The highest tides of the year land on Thanksgiving week, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and a Thursday in January. You can photograph them for the state in about ninety seconds.
Civita Park: The 14-Acre City Park Everyone Assumes Is Private
It sits in the middle of a master-planned community, so most San Diegans drive past assuming they're not welcome. It's a City of San Diego park — 14.3 acres, 165 feet of elevation, built into a quarry.
The Hotel del's Holiday Festival: Free Fireworks, a Skydiving Santa, and a $73 Parking Trap
Skydiving Santa at 4:30, fireworks at 6:45, and a nightly light show on the tree the Del says was the world's first electrically lit Christmas tree. Nearly all of it is free — the parking isn't.
Iron Mountain in Winter: San Diego's Best Season for a Hike With No Shade
Six miles, a thousand feet up, and shade for the first two-tenths of a mile. In July that's a punishment. In January it's one of the best mornings in the county — and you can see Catalina from the top.
Holiday at The Rancho
Enjoy festive holiday lights, tree lighting, crafts, and Santa visits at Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad on December 5, 2026. Find ticket links and parking tips.
Balboa Park: A Local's Guide to Visiting, Parking, and Getting In Free
Balboa Park is free to enter — but as of 2026, parking isn't. Here's how the new rules work, how residents still park free, and which museums are free on which Tuesday.
Best Places to Surf in San Diego (for Beginners)
Where to actually learn — the beaches with sandy bottoms, forgiving waves, and lifeguards — plus the famous spots to stay away from until you know what you're doing.
San Diego Botanic Garden: 37 Acres, 28 Gardens, and a Bamboo Forest in Encinitas
Four miles of trails, a bamboo forest, a glass conservatory with plant chandeliers, and a garden that exists because one woman wanted to protect the quail. Here's how to do it right.
The Mission Beach Boardwalk: A Local's Guide to the Walk, the Food, and Belmont Park
Nearly two miles of pavement between the sand and the houses, a wooden coaster from 1925, and an 8 mph speed limit almost nobody knows about. Here's how to do the walk properly.
Del Mar Beaches and Parks: A Local's Guide to All Eleven
Del Mar packs eleven public beaches, parks and bluff preserves into about two square miles. Everyone goes to the sand at 15th Street. The best view in town is a ten-minute walk away and almost nobody finds it.
City Farmers Nursery: A Little Bit of Country in City Heights
One of the best free outings in the city - two mini donkeys named Darla and Alfalfa, a goat herd in a local milk co-op, and fifty years of San Diego gardening wisdom on an acre and a half in City Heights.
The Flower Fields in Carlsbad: Spring in Full Color
The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is a stunning 55-acre hillside farm featuring tens of millions of vibrant ranunculus blooms, wagon rides, and coastal views.
Viejas Outlets Ice Skating Rink: Alpine’s Outdoor Holiday Sheet
Experience Southern California’s largest outdoor ice rink at Viejas Outlets in Alpine. Get the complete guide on winter hours, pricing, and tips.
Guy Fleming Trail Is Closed Until Spring 2027 — and So Is the Rest of Torrey Pines
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve closed to all visitors on September 22, 2026 for Phase II of its utility project. Every trail, the Lodge, the park road and both upper lots are shut until approximately March 1, 2027.
The Free Outdoor San Diego Guide
Everything worth doing outside in San Diego County that doesn't cost a dollar to get into. The activity is always free — the variable is almost always parking, so that's called out for each one.
Snorkeling La Jolla Cove: Sea Lions, Leopard Sharks, and the Underwater Park Most Visitors Never Understand
A local's guide to the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park — where to get in, when the leopard sharks show up, and the sea lion rules that changed and caught a lot of people out.
Coast Walk Trail: My Local's Guide to La Jolla's Best Free View
A 0.6-mile cliffside trail next to the Cave Store delivers Amalfi Coast views over La Jolla Cove. Free, easy, dog-friendly, and probably the best 15 minutes in San Diego.
Best Hidden Beaches in San Diego: A Local's Guide Beyond the Tourist Spots
A San Diego local’s guide to hidden beaches and underrated coastal spots — from Cabrillo tide pools and Sunset Cliffs sunsets to Windansea surf, Marine Street swims, and local-favorite dog beaches.
The Best Dog Beaches in San Diego: A Local's Guide to Off-Leash Sand
A local's guide to San Diego's dog beaches — Ocean Beach, Fiesta Island, Del Mar, and Coronado — with off-leash rules, hours, parking, and the fines to avoid.
Where to Play Pickleball in San Diego: Every Court, Free and Paid
Pickleball has taken over San Diego — 80-plus courts, many of them free. Here's where to play, what to bring, and when to go.
Why Cliff Jumping at Sunset Cliffs Is Illegal — and Why It Keeps Sending People to the Hospital
Cliff jumping at Sunset Cliffs is illegal under San Diego Municipal Code 63.20.23. After a string of July 2026 rescues, here's the law, the fines, and the risks.
Hiking Los Peñasquitos Canyon to the Waterfall: My Favorite Easy Escape in San Diego
A local's guide to the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Trail — a flat, shaded, dog-friendly walk along a year-round creek to a little waterfall tucked in volcanic rock.
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